Package with improved tear-tape



May 22, 1951 D. R. BURTON PACKAGE WITH IMPROVED TEAR-TAPE Filed July 9,1947 Imnentor Grtorncg Patented May 22, 1951 JZUNILTZED arias "PATENTOFFICE PACKAGE. WITH IMPROVED .TEARTABE Drury R.--Bur-ton,- Akrn,Ohio,:assignor;to -Wingfoot Corporation, Akron, Ohio, 2. a corporationof Delaware v.Applicaition" July. 9, 194 7,7SerialNo. 759,870

vI I' -Claim. 1 I'I'his,v invention relates to a;package provided.withmangimproved tear-tape; Thetear-tape is ....united .to-a portion ofthe wra per which is3de- ;;tions. The, tear-tape may bereleasablyxsealed to the wrapper over the perforationsorthe..perforations maybefilled with a plastic. The in- .ventionhasparticular application to wrappers of rubberhydrochloride film and likewrapping materials which have no substantial grain to facilitate tearingin a straight line;

In recent years tear-tapes have been used quite extensively for openingthe protective. film wrapper on.cigarette packages, cigars, andjthelike.

These tear-tapes have been'used most extensive ly in connection withtransparent wrappers of regenerated cellulose. This wrapping materialtears relatively easily and has apronouncedgrain which is parallel .tothe edges of the wrapper so that on tearing it tears in a substantiallystraight drochloride film and can beMused satisfactorily with othergrain-less films.

The tear-tape of"this=-invention is located on theyoutside of the wraper-and not inside-as is customary. with the 1 tear-tapes :used withregenerated cellulose. It is permanently united to the wrapper and thisunion is conveniently efiected by the use of heat and pressure. Theunion is between only a narrow area of the tear-tape and the rubberhydrochloride wrapper, and the wrapper is perforated on one or bothsides of this area. In removing the tear-tape, the area of the wrapperwhich is united to the tear-tape is removed with it, and if the wrapperis perforated on both sides of this area the wrapper tears through theperforations and only the small area between the perforations is removedwith the tear-tape. If the tear-tape is located near one edge or end ofa package it is not necessary to perforate the wrapper on that side ofthe tear-tape nearest the edge or end of the package, because the wholeend of the wrapper may readily be removed with the tear-tape."llheportions-of the tear-tape "which" extend outwardlyiromeach side'--of the area which is-united to the wrapper, ove'rlie' the"perforations and prevent'ready passage of moistur e,-dust,'etc.,'--throughthe perforations.

-To-=maintain them-oisture-tightnessof'the film in spite of theperforations-the perforations'may "befilled with-waX-orotl'ler-plastic-or'"theouter .edges of the tear-tape-may be'united tothe' wra'p- "per-bywaxor' other suitable adhesive. A preferred"material--for either "purpose-is a micro- :crystallineiwax with amelting point of- 1301-70 "F. A satisfacto-ry'wax is Lemon Syncera Wax,

- melting'point 140- 150 F.,-made*by* Standard vOil Company inCleveland; Ohio. -In a'preferred T method of -prepari-ng the-"wrapperthe perfora- 1 "tions'are formed with an "instrument covered with moltenwax which deposits" wax in the perforationsas'they are vformed.

;,iAlthough the: invention -israpplicable-i to y the use "of"tear-tapes"'with;:any*-type; of package, it is. illustrated *in' theaccompanying'drawings" as applied to acigar-wrapper. :In the drawings:

'Fig. 1 illustrates a. cigar wrapped in rubberhydro'chloride -film' and;providedwith" a "tear-tape;

Fig.- 2 illustrates the same withithe tear-tape partially removed;

Fig; 3 is a section through Fig. 1 at the wrapper; Fig/.4 isv anenlarged plan view'showingthe edge. of. the wrapper. with-:the tear-tapefastened to.it before the'jwrapper is applied to the "cigar, -Fig. 5 isa similar plan view showing how the tear-tape, removes. a portion. ofthe wrapping film when it is stripped from .the wrapped cigar .or otherpackage; and

Eigqj 6 'illustr'atesj the" method. of perforating film.andsimultaneously.filling jthe. holes with plastic.

Refe1fring-. .tofthe .drawings, jthe .cisar l is wrapped with rubberhydrochloride film 2 many ordinary way that a wrapper is usually appliedto a cigar. The tear-tape 3 is preferably printed so as to serve thedouble purpose of a tear-tape and cigar band. Fig. 3 shows how thewrapper is preferably lapped at its edge and also shows that thetear-tape is narrowof cigar-band width or narrower--its length being alittle greater than the width of the wrapper. The wrapper is heat-sealedtogether where its edges overlap, but the outer end 5 of the tear-tapeis not sealed down. It is loose so that it may easily be grasped whenthe cigar wrapper is to be opened.

Fig. 4 shows how the end of the cigar band 5 extends beyond the edge ofthe wrapper. Underneath the cigar band and spaced inwardly from itsedges the wrapper is perforated at E and I and in the area 8 between theperforations the tear-tape or cigar band 3 is sealed to the wrapper. Ifthe tear-tape is a relatively thick band of rubber hydrochloride, suchthat it will not readily stretch when subjected to the tension requiredto tear the wrapper at the perforations, the band may easily beheat-sealed to the rubber hydrochloride wrapper. The seal may be formedby pressing the tear-tape and the wrapper together with a heated rollerwhich is narrower than the distance between the perforations 6 and I.

In wrapping the cigar the edge H) of the wrapper overlaps the oppositeedge of the wrapper and in the overlapped area the two portions of thewrapper are heat-sealed together to form a permanent moisture-tightbond. Thus, when the cigar wrapper is to be opened, the tear-tab 5 islifted from the cigar so as to tear the wrap per along the perforations6 and 1. The area 8 of the wrapper. which is united to the tear-tape orband 3 is lifted from the Wrapper with the tear-tape and as thetear-tape tears the wrapper at the perforations the wrapper is dividedinto two parts. These two parts are illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5. Aftercutting the wrapper in two by the tear-tape, the two parts of thewrapper on each side of the tear-tape may easily be slipped off theopposite ends of the cigar.

The perforations are advantageously filled with wax or other plastic toprevent the entrance of dust, etc., and the escape of moisture-vapor,etc. This is preferably done by perforating with an instrument coatedwith molten plastic. Fig. 6 shows the rubber hydrochloride wrapper 2 inwhich the perforations 6 are being made with an instrument In thepointed portions l l of which are coated with molten Lemon Syncera Wax,12. As each perforation is completed and the pointed instrument isremoved from it,-a minute droplet of wax I3 is deposited within theperforation. On cooling, this seals the opening.

This type of tear-tape may form the band for a cigar. It is sealed tothe wrapper. On stripping the tear-tape from the wrapper the wrapper iscut into two parts, not as an ordinary tear-tape shears a wrapper, butby removing a narrow area of the wrapper which is defined on each sideby perforations. The edges of the teartape which extend beyond theperforations may be removably bonded to the wrapper, if desired, toprevent air and moisture from passing in or out of the perforations.

It will be evident that if instead of placing the tear-tape at the usualcigar-band position, it had been placed very near one end of the cigar,it would not be necessary to perforate the wrapper on both sides of thetear-tape. It would only be necessary to perforate the wrapper on theside of the tape away from the end of the cigar. Then in removing thetear-tape the wrapper would be torn along this perforation and the endof the wrapper would be slipped ofi the cigar with the tear-tapefastened to it.

' Although the invention has been described more particularly as appliedto a cigar wrapper, it is to be understood that the tear-tape maylikewise be applied to wrappers enclosing other objects such as packagesof cigarettes and boxes of all kinds, and even to wrappers enclosingfruits such as apples, oranges, etc. Although described moreparticularly as applied to a wrapper of rubber hydrochloride film, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, as atear-tape of the type described may be used with other wrappingmaterials, and even with wrappers such as regenerated cellulose,although it is most advantageously applied to wrappers composed ofgrain-less film. The tear-tape is advantageously formed of rubberhydrochloride film or other material which may be sealed to the wrapperby the application of heat and pressure, although tear-tapes of othercomposition may be employed and any suitable adhesive may be used tounite the tear-tape to the wrapper.

The invention is defined in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In combination and as a part of a package, a moistureproof wrapper andoutside of the wrapper a tear-tape encircling the package, a narrow,longitudinal area of the tear-tape spaced inwardly from each edge of thetear-tape being united to a narrow area of the wrapping material, saidnarrow area of the wrapping material being defined on each side by aline of perforations, the perforations being covered by the outerportions of the tear-tape and being filled with plastic to prevent thepassage of moisture therethrough, the perforations facilitating tearingthe wrapper to remove the portion bonded to the tear-tape.

DRURY R. BURTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,682,104 Andros Aug. 28, 19281,957,903 Odell May 8, 1934 1,960,881 Sunbury May 29, 1934 2,178,557Burns Nov. 7, 1939 2,194,451 Soubier Mar. 19, 1940 2,296,830 Beals Sept.29, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 153,084 Great Britain Oct.29, 1920

